Marian Vajda claims he was "really worried" after Novak Djokovic lost 2 sets, jokes that he'll quit if the Serb wins Calendar Slam
Marian Vajda, Novak Djokovic's coach, has revealed that he was "really worried" when his charge lost the opening two sets against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Roland Garros final on Sunday.
Novak Djokovic ended up winning the match 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to lift his 19th Major title. Having already won the Australian Open this year, the Serb is now a Wimbledon and US Open win away from claiming a Calendar Slam. If he does manage to pull off that incredible feat, it would also take him past Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's record tally of 20 Majors.
Marian Vajda, on his part, believes that Novak Djokovic can actually complete the Calendar Slam this year. Wihle speaking to the media on Sunday, Vajda even joked that he and Goran Ivanisevic would quit their respective coaching positions if the World No. 1 pulled it off.
"We said with [fellow Novak Djokovic coach] Goran [Ivanisevic] that if he accomplishes the [calendar-year] Grand Slam, that we are going to quit," Vajda said. "We officially announce this as coaches!
"I think it’s possible, much more [than] possible," he added. "He loves to play at Wimbledon and the US Open. I was worried a little bit more about clay courts, because for a long period of time, in the past 10 years, he had great results, and he could have done much more at the French Open, but just couldn't make it."
Marian Vajda, who is statistically the most successful coach in men's tennis history, admitted he was concerned after his charge lost the first two sets against Stefanos Tsitsipas. Vajda felt Djokovic was a "little flat" in the first two sets due to the after-effects of his draining semifinal clash with Rafael Nadal.
"I was really worried a little bit the first two sets that after two sets I just hoped for [him] to gain the energy, because he was really flat in the second set," Vajda said. "Obviously everything fell on him: four sets with Rafa, the first two sets. I think he was a little flat in the first two sets. First set he had a set point obviously. He could have done it. He didn't [make a] good enough return."
Novak Djokovic turned things around and went on to win his second Roland Garros title, and Marian Vajda revealed that the Serb was especially buoyed by his win over Rafael Nadal on Friday.
"He came back. That was the most important point of the final," Vajda went on. "He had this belief. I think Rafa's game gave him a lot of confidence, believing in himself that he can win the French Open. [The] first two sets it took him a little bit off, because maybe he was thinking too much ahead. Then he was able to be in present after the first two sets. Then he just prevailed [with] his tennis."
I think I appreciate this trophy much more than five years ago, in 2016: Novak Djokovic's coach Marian Vajda
Novak Djokovic first won Roland Garros in 2016, which helped him complete his career Grand Slam. But Marian Vajda cherishes his charge's 2021 Roland Garros triumph more, because of the overall level of play he displayed.
"I think I appreciate this trophy much more than [five] years ago, [in] 2016, when he beat Andy, because it was the level of tennis was not there [from] Novak," Vajda said. "Maybe [the] first time, he was more nervous than now, [but] he used his experience at the end in the final today.”